Saturday, April 28, 2012

Wildlife of Luxembourg - 2001


Luxembourg Post issued the stamp series of wildlife on Dec 06,  2001 features  squirell, wild boar, hare, and wood pigeon.This is the first set in a new cycle of postal values dedicated to animals living in our fields and forests. The stamps depict the following subjects, painted in oil on canvas by Lorraine wildlife artist Yvan Ridel de Blénod-les-Toul (France):
image
L'écure (Kaweechelchen)
Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa, and have been introduced to Australia.Squirrels typically have slender bodies with bushy tails and large eyes. Their fur is generally soft and silky, Squirrels live in almost every habitat from tropical rainforest to semiarid desert. They are predominantly herbivorous, subsisting on seeds and nuts, but many will eat insects and even small vertebrates .This small rodent is perfectly suited to life in the trees : it is an excellent climber that is always on alert to avoid being surprised by a marten or a hawk. Everyone loves this gentle animal with its pleasing appearance, beautiful large reddish tail, and graceful manner. With its gnawing teeth, the squirrel can easily open the nuts and pine cones that make up its primary nourishment.
image
The wild boar (Wëllschwäin)
Wild boar (Sus scrofa), also known as wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. Wild boar are native across much of Northern and Central Europe, the Mediterranean Region and much of Asia as far south as Indonesia. During the day, boars retire to more peaceful surroundings and dense forests to sleep.
In the spring, the females give birth to their young (litters of up to twelve). Boars feed on fruit and roots as well as insects and the eggs of small vertebrates. In autumn, the boar is hunted for its meat which is highly regarded by connoisseurs of fine food.
image
The hare (Hues)
Hares are generally larger than rabbits, with longer ears, and have black markings on their fur. Hares have not been domesticated, while rabbits are kept as house pets.  It is a mammal that lives in open fields and prairies. It likes the hedges that one often finds in this type of countryside because they provide such good hiding places. The population of hares has declined steadily in the past few years and it has even disappeared in certain regions. This is often wrongly blamed on predators such as the fox or birds of prey : the destruction of its traditional habitat by intensive farming and the use of pesticides has also decimated the hare population whose prolific reproduction was legendary in the old days.
image
The wood-pigeon (Bëschdauf)
The Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) is a species of bird in the Columba genus in the Columbidae family. It is a member of the dove and pigeon family Columbidae.The wood-pigeon is a migratory bird. Nevertheless, a portion of the indigenous population does not leave us during the winter : it is even joined by birds arriving from Nordic countries.Wood Pigeons seem to have a preference for trees near roadways and rivers. The nests are vulnerable to attack, particularly by crows. As a result, the wood-pigeons form enormous flocks of up to 2,000 birds. The adult wood-pigeon is easily recognizable by white markings on the wings and the neck. It feeds primarily on grains that are foraged from fields

No comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...